tomboys and troublemakers part 2: road to couronne

[wilphe]

Wighard makes sure the wounded and recovering are comfortable and conducts a brief service for the dead. He's not a real priest of course, but he has done such rituals too many times. Kwolf he asks to head to Altdorf to request a real Priest pass by.

The morning of the second day he and Emil have a brief conversation, apparently marking out land for some project or other before he and Siobhan disappear into the woods until the evening. They want a little bit of privacy so she can get some practice in and he can learn better what she can do. If Gimgroth wants to come with he will not be oppossed.

[dojango]

Jasmine laughs nervously at Bertelis. "Haha yeah, first rule of fightin', don't drop your weapon an' I dropped it in the stupid slime thing. Least I made it out with my new shield."

[MrAbdiel]

Jasmine's nervous laughter gives room for the knight to offer a generous smile; which goes a long way to redeeming his fact which, normally handsome and pleasant enough, is haggard with what looks like backlogged exhaustion.

"Alas, it happens more often the more you are in the thick. My axe, alas, got hooked on the gorget of one of those dancing armors, and rattled inside; therefore I can hardly chastise you for it." He loops the rigging rope he's holding in one hand around his forearm as instructed; but his left hand slowly drifts to the axe at his waist; unloops it, scabbarded, from his belt, and offers it hilt first to the halfling. "Here. Try the weight. It seemed light to me - it might be just right for you. I took it from one of the northmen that we fought, in Altdorf; the one that Adelhard killed. It's a marine weapon, I think; see the long beard of the blade, and the smoothed hollow under the chin for hooking over ropes? Norscans have no gift for steel; it was, perhaps, plundered from a kislevite merchantman in the Sea of Claws, or some such. But axes are less ideal for me, in the end; I fight from my horse, when I can. The handle is too short, for that work; and axe blades, unlike swords and maces... they bite the bones, yes? And then I will be dropping it, and breaking the rule." He gives the smooth handle of the weapon, extended to Jasmine, a waggle. "Go on. See how it likes your arm."

[bramblefoot]

wighard: what are you drilling into siobhan? she seems to have a preternatural ability to soak up theory and other stuff. she also has a strong magical aura

bruno: you see a man in a tall floppy hat walking past with his horse. he has a sword in his sheath, and seems to be watching the goings on. he takes special interest in wighard and siobhan and grimgoth walking into the woods.

bertelis and jasmine: you two notice the floppy-hatted man as well. jasmine, do tell me what this man is infamous for in the empire (he's a witch-hunter)

grimgoth. are you coming with wighard and siobhan? or are you gonna keep an eye on this floppy-hatted man?

[Morovir]

Although Glod spends a couple of hours a day working on the company's runesword, as is necessary for its completion, the majority of his focus remains on the runesword he had retrieved from the cursed sepulchre. The infernal presences in the tomb had corrupted the blade somehow, but until he completed his examination, there was no way to be certain in what way, and whether the process was reversible. Long he spent into the night each day trying to wrest the secrets from it, ceasing only to snatch a few hours of rest before awaking the next morning to continue his work.

Spoiler: OOC:

Show

Academic Knowledge (Runes), maybe? Something Int related anyway: (1d100)[70] TN 54 (Int 54)

[bramblefoot]

glod: the collector has bound their soul securely to the runeblade, and it is beyond your skill to remove. you could consult thurfam longbelly for his wisdom.

[LarsWester]

In the tavern soon after arrival
"Perhaps, had I grown up drinking such Imperial piss-water, I should find it as much to my liking as you, ah? Roger? Daglan? It's bad, it's bad! You know it's bad. The dwarves- the dwarves will tell you, your beer is bad! Good dwarves! Tell these men that human beer is bad."

Gimgroth laughs at Bertelis's imploring for back up. "Aye it's bad. What does this human beer have in common with with sex on the beach? They're both f**king close to water!" the dwarves shakes with laughter at his own joke unaware and uncaring if anyone else joins him.

The next morning
Gimgroth trains with the marine taking over the commander role for Bertelis when he doesn't show up. "Right let the Sir Knight rest. He needs his beauty sleep." Pointing to about a dozen of the marines. "You lot see to the halfling's needs with the boats she's offering fair coin for a day's work and you seemed least likely to tie yourself in a knot when working on the rigging. The rest of you seadogs its high time a master of the boarding axe teach you a trick or three."

After the training session.
Gimgroth noticed a rather strange fellow come through the town. The man's hat is what stood out most being rather tall and floppy. The stranger appeared to have a keen eye towards Wighard and Siobhan. Gimgroth watches as those two make to disappear off into the woods. Gimgroth follows at a distance and takes up a position of hiding in the forest keeping an eye on Westvein for the floppy hat man to make a pursuit into the woods.

[bramblefoot]

grimgoth: you find a good place to overwatch on siobhan and wighard. you settle in and wait, and wait, and wait. finally you see a flash of movement to your left, but no sound

wdyd?

wighard: while you are busy training siobhan, you sense something is wrong, a little way back out of the clearing. wddy?

[dojango]

Jasmine takes the axe, and giggles. "Jes need to grow a beard and I'll be a proper dwarven lady," she tells Bertelis. And then, "Hey, that's 'the Hammer', that famous witch hunter from Altdorf! 'the Hammer of Sigmar crushes all wickedness Johnson' is his name. They say he once kilt three evil wizards in one day, once! Wonder what he's doin' here?"

[MrAbdiel]

Having a few pointers to offer about the use of the yielded axe, Bertelis follows instead his halfling companion's eyeline. He frowns a little. "...That is Johansson, the Hammer? I had thought him... less than real. Templars of Sigmar do not often enjoy their personal reputations growing - or so I had thought. The three slain in a day - that was the Coven of Three, on the road to Kemperbad, as I heard it. All taken alive and burned, back, to back, to back, on the same stake. Why is he prowling around Westvein..? Perhaps... word of our expedition to the Lord of the Foxwoods reached him..? Perhaps he has thought to verify the reports of the slain former lord of this place. Hmm."

[farothel]

Sir Bruno had been using the time in the town to help Emil with his correspondence, as he had some idea who might be interested in the books. So he could give a few names and help with some introductions. And he had some knowledge on the correct phrases to use when writing nobles. In the evenings he had been signing for the marines and the villagers. He wasn't an expert, but he could hold a tone.

When he noticed the man, he went in search for the others, quickly finding Jasmine and Bertelis discussing the man. He had thought the man looked familiar, but he assumed he had been on a wanted poster, not as the guy who had wanted posters made.
"I know the name, but I haven't worked with him," he said to the two others, "I did notice him looking at wighard, siobhan and grimgoth. Maybe we best go to talk to him. Those guys often jump to conclusions and might take rash action against our friends. Maybe Bertelis and I can have a word with him."

He wasn't sure if Jasmine was already recovered enough to go into another potentially dangerous situation.

[dojango]

Jasmine nods and says, "Ha, yeah, he's probably gonna be jealous he don't get in on the action. Let's go say hello an' tell him all about our adventures."

[wilphe]

Wighard takes the opportunity to have Siobhan discuss and if necessary demonstrate what she can do, whilst also taking the opportunity to see if there is any wind she channels better than most

Interesting, you have at least some mastery beyond the usual level for the self-trained, however it is as well that you joined up with us as you did because such informal progression almost always ends badly

Almost always?

I am at least open to the theoretical possibility that it might have, somewhere somewhen, not turned out badly.

Unfortunately with formal study of a magical language and the discipline that instils such practitioners do inadvertently end up using dark magic - dhar - in their spells without realising it.

And when they do realise it they don't care and soon after that they start doing it deliberately.

Thus is the nature of chaos

That's why amongst my first duties are to instruct you in magical language and grammar so you can shape your thoughts in a controlled way and in a magical tradition so that you draw clean power.

You won't lose the ability to do what you can already do, but it will shape your future development

Kwolf is not there, but that little voice that sits in Wighard's head that once told him to duck moments before a unseen cannonball that would have taken his head off went through his trench, the one that tells him not to go down certain alleys, that little voice, is telling him something is up

That's enough practice for now, we can return to the others where it will not freak the muggles

[bramblefoot]

the party meeting the witchhunter: he looks at sir bertelis and bruno, sizing you up with a practiced eye as his hand moves a little closer to the sword at his hip "i heard there was a chaos cult around here. what do y'all know about that?"

wighard: you really should get running, as you see a flick of glass dialing in on your position

[wilphe]

Wighard looks at Siobhan and speaks quietly

Condition Blue, 135

The two of them then split up, one zigging, one zagging, trying to keep the trees between them and whoever is watching them and heading back towards the village

[farothel]

"Greetings," Sir Bruno said, "my name is Sir Bruno, Baronet Richter. And to answer your question, yes, we are aware of the chaos cult and we have already dealt with it. That's why we have the marines in the town, as it was a rather extensive group of cultists who lived in the swamps and pirated on the river. We are here with the blessing of the reiksmarshall and the temple of Sigmar."

[bramblefoot]

"i know exactly who you are baronet richter" hammer responds with a wink. "tell me, what would people do if they knew what i know?"

"sir bertelis roche. it appears you havent gotten over that daemonette incident in the basement at altdorf" hammer grates, continuing on to

"our dearest halfling. those boats wouldnt pass inspection at the dock, now would they?"

he finishes with "and if you should kill me, i have letters prepared to be sent to karl franz himself." he cracks a rictus grin and says "lets talk business. i have information you'd rather not have get out. i also have a mission for you that goes in your general direction."

[MrAbdiel]

Bertelis is momentarilly flabbergasted by the man's opening; but soon, with some color in his cheek, finds his voice again.

"Regardless of your letter, I imagine Sigmar would be less than impressed for you to arrive at his side prematurely for such a ridiculous boast. I do not care for your extortive tone to myself or my companions; and had most men presumed to use such threats, I would already have demanded satisfaction. If you are hell-bent of being our puppeteer rather than a civil acquaintance, then this meeting is ill-fated from the start and the enemies of mankind will thrill for it. But we are a company of no small virtue, along with our valor; and we are easily enticed to do righteous deeds. So perhaps speak your peace; and perhaps we will be compelled without this..." He gestures loosely with one hand, fanning it in the air as if waving off sulphuric vapors of the witch hunter's insinuations. "...Clumsy espionage."

[bramblefoot]

hammer continues with a "do you think consorting with daemons can be ignored, sir bertelis roche? the empire strikes hard and fast against corruption of mind, body, and soul" he coolly pulls a whistle from his pocket and holds it close to his mouth. "the choice is yours"

[MrAbdiel]

"All of us have only ever fought the daemons where we have found them. I have never consorted with one until this conversation - but speak your peace. If you are tracking the pirate-cult, we have smoke them at cost already. If you had concerns about the monstrosity that lurked in the gully nearby, we have slain it also. But if there is some other dark threat for which you are enlisting aid, it may be as simple as asking. You need neither beg, nor bully."

[bramblefoot]

"bruno, do tell them about your family" hammer says, holding the whistle. "it turns out that bruno's family in altdorf were nurgle worshippers for the past few generations. that's all the info i need to send you all to the pyre"

[dojango]

Jasmine just laughs again and says, "Depends on who's doin' the inspection, I guess. If it's Corporal Nobson, then yeah, no flippin' problem. If'n it's Lieutenant Marston, then yeah, we might be spending a few weeks scrapin' barnacles an' fixing the rigging..." After he accuses Bruno she scowls a bit and starts looking around suspiciously.

[Morovir]

Meanwhile...

Glod gives a start as the pieces fall into place. It all made sense now, though he dearly wished it did not, and that a different conclusion would present itself. Through some foul perversion, the Collector had bound his soul to the runeblade, desecrating it in the eyes of all dawi, and rendering it beyond his ability alone to rectify. Suppressing the urge to vomit at such an abomination, Glod grits his teeth and wraps the blade in cloth, binding it together with leather straps so that it can be carried without getting into contact with the blade. He will have to return to Altdorf and consult the master runelords at the embassy in order to solve this particular problem.

Leaving his room for the first time in days, he looks around and the empty abode.

"Bugrit, where did everyone go?"

[farothel]

"They know that," Bruno said, "we killed my cousin... well, adopted cousin to be honest... when he turned into some sort of monstrosity. And yes, that branch of the family apparently is not who I thought they were. Nobody in the family does, at least as far as I know. And when we get back to Altdorf, I will inform the temple of Sigmar of my findings and have them deal with that branch. But I doubt myself and my companions should end up on a pyre just because a cousin twice removed is a cultist. If that is the case, you can probably burn half the empire. But you were speaking of a mission. I can't speak for everybody in our group and you insulting us might not help matters with them, but what mission?"

[bramblefoot]

"there have been rumblings that a daemon weapon has been uncovered in mousillon" hammer says with reticence. "the empire needs to know, and so when i heard you guys were going to brettonia, i'd pay you a visit, and ask you to destroy it"

[MrAbdiel]

"Mousillon..?" The Bretonnian echos, with disgust, and dread. "How much more damned can a place become? You are right that we are going West. But why is a sword, however curses, so far away from the Empire of such interest to the Templars of Sigmar? This seems to be a particular sword, if you want it destroyed so badly. Furthermore, I'd ask in what manner, if you know, it ought to be destroyed."

[bramblefoot]

"it is a weapon containing the essence of a great unclean one" hammer says, proffering a pouch "inside contain three blessed stones which must be placed into the handle slots to destroy it"

[MrAbdiel]

Bertelis looks at the proffered pouch, hovering in the air between the party, in the witch hunter's grasp. He looks, and feels, even more tired in the hanging five seconds before he reaches out to take it.

"...Fine. We will strive to accomplish this. I suppose it would be too easy to ask if your information suggested the sword be in a particular lord's hand, or within a certain estate? Or must we roust that information from the benighted and cursed locals. And, succeeding, our company gains what - the nebulous appreciation of the Order of the Silver Hammer, and your word that you will no longer seek to extort our people?"

[dojango]

Jasmine laughs and interjects, a little nervously, "Foreigners, am I right? They don't understand quite how things are in the Empire. What my foreign companion is asking for, I think, is a 'writ', signed by the good gentleman, authorizing the Order of the Burning Slug to carry out this little task on behalf of the Order of the Silver Hammer. Something that lets us draw upon help and supplies, should we need it, from those loyal to the Hammer, and somethin' that lets us know what authority we have in this matter. That makes it all nice and legal-like, you know how these Bretonnians are with their 'laws' and 'noble rights', ya know?"

[bramblefoot]

"that you do, assuming you complete the mission" hammer says "when the weapon is destroyed, the letters will be burnt to ashes. you have my word" he blows on the whistle thrice, mounts his horse, and rides off, calling back "the writ will be waiting for you in altdorf"